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HUNTINGTON BEACH Surf City USA! by maribeth mellin Coast Highway through Huntington Beach and you feel like you've fallen into the classic surf flick Endless Summer. Waves crash on tan sand just a few yards from the asphalt; it seems nearly everyone walking toward the water is carrying a surfboard. There's no doubt about it—you've landed in Surf City USA. Huntington Beach, with ten miles of uninterrupted sand, deserves its righteous sobriquet. The waves beside its concrete pier are legendary, and pro and amateur surfers alike release delighted screams as they ride fast, powerful swells. More than 50 surf competitions are held here each year, attracting some of the biggest surf stars. The International Surfing Museum, the Surfing Walk of Fame and the Surfing Hall of Fame all pay homage to the sport, and several international surf gear companies including Quicksilver, Roxy and Surfline are based within a few miles of the pier, which is the longest recreational pier on the West Coast. On land, Huntington Beach is the quintessential SoCal beach city, with endless housing developments and malls inland and plenty of quirky shops and restaurants closer to shore. Main Street, DRIVE ALONG PACIFIC » SWIM, SHOP, HANG, SURF! Huntington Beach Visitors Bureau surfcityusa.com 13 0 2013 travel guid e to c al ifo r n i a downtown's Times Square, runs inland from the pier. Busy day and night, the street is home to nearly every chain surf shop as well as several independents. Diners, burger joints and fancy seafood eateries fill up quickly and the nightlife is casual and family friendly. On the sand, friends gather around fire rings for classic beach bonfires. On Tuesday evenings, Main Street hosts a hugely popular farmers market and street fair that's the best ticket in town for allaround entertainment. The Ocean Strand paved boardwalk running 12.5 miles along the coast is Huntington Beach's other main drag. Cyclists, joggers and walkers share pathways and lawns, watching seabirds migrating to the wetlands at Boca Chica State Beach and dogs of all sizes racing along the water's edge at Dog Beach. At certain times during the summer, surfing is banned at Huntington State Beach south of the pier, giving swimmers and boogie boarders a safe place to play. But surfing is definitely the main attraction here. Bring a camera, stroll along the pier and watch pro-level surfers swoop along the crest of foamy, fearsome waves. CA GREG PETERSON; GERRY BOUGHAN / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM SURFERS by the pier at Huntington Beach, above.